What is Ayurveda? How does Ayurveda heal?

The word Ayurveda means 'Science of Life', a mind/body science. Ayurveda is a complete system of restoring and maintaining a harmonious mind/body/spirit connection. Its function is to balance all physical, emotional and mental systems leading to self-healing and self realization. Ayurveda teaches that our human physical systems are directly connected with our emotional and mental systems. As we learn to understand the complete interaction of these systems we are able to heal ourselves. As each of us heals ourselves, we create a paradigm of healing that begins to affect our surrounding environment. As we heal and undergo positive transformations internally, we manifest this same positive abundance in our external environment. So Ayurveda offers an opportunity not only to heal our bodies, but also heal our lives and relationships.

Ayurveda teaches that each of us has a physical channel within the physical body that can open to the experience of being aware of our own divine nature. When we become conscious of the Divine within we feel a sense of deep connection with Spirit, God, Universal Life Force which allows us to operate in harmony with the natural laws of the universe. When we are flowing with nature, we experience the feeling of wholeness, where we recognize that there is no lack and no limitation, only the perception that we are in some way deficient or not enough. Ayurveda outlines the perfect wisdom and knowledge to achieve this balance of wholeness. Once balance and wholeness is achieved, we begin to learn how to live happily in a world that appears to foster and fight disease, seek gross stimulation and reward superficial activity.

The ultimate goal of Ayurveda is to facilitate the union of our Spirit with the Divine Universal Power (God consciousness). A healthy mind and body is a temple for our spirit. A healthy body allows us to achieve this union of our Spirit. By learning to use this natural Universal Force, we transcend fear, pain, and limitation and reach our full and highest potential. We become our true Self.

On a physical plane, Ayurveda is designed to promote natural health and prevention of maladies. If a person becomes sick or is challenged with a disease, Ayurveda looks for imbalance to the natural health of the individual. Ayurveda is a natural health lifestyle, not a system of symptom suppression. Accordingly, it can be use in conjunction, as well as be integrated with other healing modalities and with all types of conventional medicine and surgery.

Ayurveda is based on the principles of Quantum physics. Our unique constitution is a result of the unique combination of the elemental energetics. The five elements of ether, air, fire, water and earth combine these energetics in variations called the three doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata is a combination of ether and air. Pitta is primarily fire and some water. Kapha is a combination of the elements of water and earth. When one has a perfect balance of these three doshas, one is dis-ease and dis-comfort free. With an imbalance of these three doshas one begins the disease process within. Understanding our unique constitutions is important and provides one with customized lifestyle that can be preventative, as well as significantly improve our coping skills for stress. With self-knowledge one may find it easier to achieve balance and stay disease free.. As an Ayurvedic practitioner I provide a health approach that is highly individualized based on one's unique distribution of the elemental energetics. Ex. In Ayurveda there are three different types of arthritis, based on one's constitution, hence three different approaches.

Ayurveda operates to prevent illness by understanding the function of the body, the relationship of body/mind and the particular nature of the individual being treated. Each individual has a specific constitution and the science of life offers a systemic approach to well-being customized specifically to the body type of the individual. This ancient wealth of knowledge teaches a clear understanding of the functioning and enhancement of the individual's mind, body, and consciousness, as well as the role of the individual in society. Ayurveda is the art and science of harmonious, healthy living.

According to Ayurveda disease occurs in 6 stages. Conventional/modern medicine is trained to recognize and treat disease in stage 5, when it is a full blown manifested disease and stage 6 which are complications of the manifested disease. Ayurvedic training involves in the identification of the dis-ease and dis-comfort which progress from stage 1 to stage 4. These are in the format of imbalances, which does not have the formal name of a disease. The progression of the initial stages 1 to 4 of imbalance takes years and years to accumulate. So anyone pursuing Holistic Ayurvedic and Naturopathic route to health, must be patient, and know that healing and results will not be overnight. Some ease and improvement may occur within the first few weeks, however real healing and disease reversal may require several months of lifestyle changes, proper nutrient intake and cooperation of the individual along with their practitioner. Remember the symptoms and discomforts are the last to show up as a result of longterm accumulation of imbalances. Chronic neglected imbalances lead to disease. So one must understand and realize that symptom relief may take time.

Ayurveda emphasizes upon education, and self-healing through self-realization. So as an Ayurvedic practitioner I am an educator, a guide, a facilitator and a coach. I do not prescribe or diagnose. My job as a Ayurvedic healer is to assist the body's return to its natural state of balance.